John Blashford-Snell

John Nicholas Blashford-Snell was born on 22 October 1936 in Hereford, England, the son of the Reverend Leland John Blashford-Snell (1903–1978) of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department[2][3] and Gwendoline Ives Sadler. Blashford-Snell grew up in Herefordshire and Jersey and was educated at St Michael's College, Tenbury and later at Victoria College, Jersey from 1950.[4][5] Blashford-Snell joined the British Army and attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an officer cadet after which he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 2 August 1957.[6]

Having served his initial two years of his commission as a Second Lieutenant Blashford-Snell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 2 August 1959[7] and then Captain after four years on 2 August 1963.[8] Further promotion followed to the rank of Major on 31 December 1968[9] and Lieutenant Colonel on 30 June 1976[10] before reaching his final rank of Colonel on 30 June 1982. After 37 years of service, Blashford-Snell retired from the British Army on 30 December 1991.[11]

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1976 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.

In 1969, Blashford-Snell founded the Scientific Exploration Society.[12]

Amongst his expeditions were the first descent of the Blue Nile, during which he invented white-water rafting 'by accident' (in 1968); crossing of the Darién Gap (1971 to 1972) and overseeing the first north–south vehicular journey from Alaska to Cape Horn; and a complete navigation of the Congo River (in 1974 to 1975).[4] He was awarded the Segrave Trophy in 1974[13][14] and the Livingstone Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in recognition of his leadership of the expeditions.[15]

In 1978, Blashford-Snell established Operation Drake, which later developed into Operation Raleigh, an educational initiative for young people, of which he was Director General until he retired from this post in 1991.[16]

In 1993, Blashford-Snell was awarded the Patron's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society.[17]

In 2006, Blashford-Snell helped the London hatmakers James Lock & Co. to design a hat to meet the needs of explorers.[18] Since 2001, he has been the Hon. Life President of the Centre for Fortean Zoology.[19] He is also a member of the Ghost Club.[20] In 2010 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University[21]

His publications include an autobiography, Something Lost Behind the Ranges (1994).

Blashford-Snell has been a member of The Explorers Club since 1974. In 1992, he was awarded the Sweeney Medal in honour of his outstanding contributions to the welfare and objectives of the organization.[22]

Blashford-Snell married Judith Sherman in 1960.[23][24] They had met whilst Blashford-Snell was still at Sandhurst; Sherman was attending the women's officer training unit. They have two daughters, Victoria and Emma.[25]

• Where the Trails Run Out, London, Hutchinson 1974. ISBN 0091213606
• In the Steps of Stanley, London, Hutchison 1975. ISBN 0-09-125080-3
• Expeditions: the Experts’ way, edited by John Blashford-Snell and Alistair Ballantine. London, Faber 1977. ISBN 0-571-11116-5
• A taste for adventure, London, Hutchinson 1978. ISBN 0-09-136010-2
• In the wake of Drake John Blashford-Snell and Michael Cable. London, W.H. Allen, 1980. ISBN 0-352-30750-1
• Operation Drake London, W.H. Allen, 1981. ISBN 0-491-02965-9
• The expedition organiser’s guide by John Blashford-Snell & Richard Snailham ; written for the Scientific Exploration Society. London, Daily Telegraph, 1982.
• Mysteries: encounter with the unexplained. London, Bodley Head 1983. ISBN 0-370-30479-9
• Operation Raleigh: the start of an adventure London, Collins, 1987. ISBN 0-00-217624-6
• Something lost behind the ranges :the autobiography of John Blashford-Snell. London, HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN 0-00-255034-2
• Mammoth hunt: in search of the giant elephants of Nepal by John Blashford-Snell and Rula Lenska. London, HarperCollins, 1996. ISBN 0-00-255672-3
• Kota Mama: retracing the lost trade routes of ancient South American peoples by John Blashford-Snell and Richard Snailham. London, Headline, 2000. ISBN 0-7472-2281-9
• East to the Amazon: in search of Great Paititi and the trade routes of the ancients by John Blashford-Snell and Richard Snailham. London, John Murray 2002. ISBN 0-7195-6032-2

• Official website
• Intrepid explorer defeated by train trip, BBC News, 29 November 2001
• John Blashford-Snell heads back to the jungle, Times Online, 16 May 2009
• John Blashford-Snell's appearance on This Is Your Life
• Pan-American Highway Expedition, Military Review, January 1973, 53(1): 98–99, ISSN 0026-4148.